Is Anybody There? (2008)

Director:

John Crowley

Writer:

Peter Harness (written by)

Release Date:

1 May 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Set in 1980s seaside England, this is the story of Edward, an unusual ten year old boy growing up in an old people's home run by his parents...

Plot Keywords:

Magician | Retirement Home | Senility | Palsey | Sexual Harassment

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Bill Milner	...	Edward
Anne-Marie Duff	...	Mum
Ralph Riach	...	Clive
Linzey Cocker	...	Tanya
Elizabeth Spriggs	...	Prudence
Leslie Phillips	...	Reg
Sylvia Syms	...	Lilian
Rosemary Harris	...	Elsie
David Morrissey	...	Dad
Thelma Barlow	...	Ena
Peter Vaughan	...	Bob
Carl McCrystal	...	Undertaker 1
Andrew Turner	...	Undertaker 2
Michael Caine	...	Clarence
Oliver Leach	...	Barry
Ralph Ineson	...	Mr. Kelly
David Rintoul	...	Harry Price
Tommy Baxendale	...	Tanya's Boyfriend Mike
Adam Drinkall	...	Stuart
Edward Lees	...	Ben
Larry David	...	Fireman
Kevin Locke	...	Entertainer
Jennifer Hennessy	...	School Mother
James Gilbert	...	Tanya's New Boyfriend
Angie Inwards	...	Mavis (as Angie Inward)
Garrick Hagon	...	Douglas
Miles Jupp	...	Vicar
Peter Harness	...	Cashier
Sue Wallace	...	Mrs. Hitler
William Ilkley	...	Barry's Dad
Myles Keogh	...	Paramedic (as Michael Keogh)
Keith Hargreaves	...	Bus Driver
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charli Janeway	...	Guy Who Walks (uncredited)
Karl Johnson	...	Arthur (uncredited)
Karol Steele	...	Passer-by (uncredited)

Directed by
John Crowley

Writing credits
Peter Harness		(written by)

Produced by
Rosie Alison	....	co-producer
David Heyman	....	producer
Mark Hubbard	....	line producer
Christine Langan	....	executive producer
Peter Saraf	....	producer
David M. Thompson	....	executive producer
Marc Turtletaub	....	producer

Original Music by
Joby Talbot

Cinematography by
Rob Hardy

Film Editing by
Trevor Waite

Casting by
Fiona Weir

Production Design by
Kave Quinn

Art Direction by
Lynne Huitson

Set Decoration by
Gemma Ryan

Costume Design by
Jane Petrie

Makeup Department
Fae Hammond	....	hair designer
Fae Hammond	....	makeup designer
Belinda Parish	....	additional hair stylist
Belinda Parish	....	additional makeup artist
Gemma Richards	....	hair stylist
Gemma Richards	....	makeup artist
Gemma Richardson	....	hair stylist: crowd dailies
Gemma Richardson	....	makeup artist: crowd dailies
Karen Sherriff-Brown	....	hair stylist (as Karen Sheriff-Brown)
Karen Sherriff-Brown	....	makeup artist (as Karen Sheriff-Brown)

Production Management
Tania Blunden	....	post-production supervisor (as Tania Windsor Blunden)
Alice Dawson	....	production manager
Amie Tridgell	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Daniel Gill	....	additional crowd third assistant director
Heidi Gower	....	third assistant director
Martin Harrison	....	first assistant director
Chris Stoaling	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Paul Bowring	....	construction manager
Keith Connolly	....	stand by painter
Garry Dawson	....	stand-by props
Kevin Day	....	stand-by props
Gavin Grant	....	props
Douglas Ingram	....	storyboard artist
Dean Lee	....	trainee props (2008)
Loretta Lipworth	....	art department trainee
Chris Lunney	....	graphic designer
James Mannell	....	props
Steve Register	....	property master
Oliver Roberts	....	stand-by art director
Dorothy Sullivan	....	assistant set decorator

Sound Department
Oliver Brierley	....	adr mixer
Alex Fielding	....	mix technician
Arthur Graley	....	foley editor
Nigel Heath	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alex Hudd	....	sound consultant: dolby
Dan Morgan	....	supervising adr & dialogue editor
Paul Munro	....	boom operator
Colin Nicolson	....	sound recordist
Marc Sampson	....	sound trainee
Julian Slater	....	supervising sound editor
Chris Sturmer	....	sound consultant: dolby
Jessica Ward	....	assistant sound editor
Ross Wissbaum	....	adr recordist
Mark Wyllie	....	recording & mixing engineer
Nick Foley	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
James Davis III	....	special effects senior technician
Hugh Goodbody	....	special effects technician
Mark Holt	....	special effects supervisor
Chris Reynolds	....	senior special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Matthew Bristowe	....	digital lab producer: MPC
Kelly Bruce	....	compositor
James Cundill	....	online editor
Philip Greenlow	....	visual effects coordinator
Charley Henley	....	visual effects supervisor
Jeremy Hey	....	digital compositor
Max Horton	....	digital colourist
Michael Illingworth	....	visual effects artist
Begoña Lopez	....	digital lab producer: MPC
Sona Pak	....	visual effects producer
Chris Shaw	....	visual effects set supervisor
Giuseppe Tagliavini	....	digital compositor: MPC
Pat Wintersgill	....	on-line editor

Stunts
Nick Chopping	....	stunt double
Bradley Farmer	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Simon Baker	....	Steadicam operator
Richie Donnelly	....	first assistant camera
Alan Hall	....	first assistant camera
Graham Hall	....	camera: b
Daniel Laviada	....	grip: dailies
Chloë Thomson	....	assistant camera
Roger Tooley	....	camera operator: "b" camera/Steadicam
Nick Wall	....	still photographer
Lee Walters	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Abigail Barbier	....	adr voice casting
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting
Ruth Key	....	casting assistant
Alice Searby	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Karen Beale	....	costume assistant
Anne T. Delaney	....	costume maker
Lucy Donowho	....	costume assistant
Rachael Forde	....	wardrobe trainee
Poli Kyriacou	....	costume buyer
Richard Sale	....	assistant costume designer
James Smith	....	dresser: Michael Caine (as Jim Smith)
Julie Telfer	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Nina Bradley	....	assistant editor
Faye Morgan	....	post-production coordinator (as Faye Stevens)

Music Department
Alison Butters	....	music clearance
Peter Clarke	....	preview music editor
Ben Foster	....	orchestrator
Dave Foster	....	music preparation
Liz Gallacher	....	music supervisor
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Matthew Richard Harris	....	composer: additional music
Catherine Manners	....	music score coordinator
Wendy Nieper	....	piano consultant
Wendy Nieper	....	singing consultant
Joby Talbot	....	conductor
Joby Talbot	....	music arranger
Paul Thomson	....	composer: stock music
Mark Wyllie	....	recording & mixing engineer

Transportation Department
Steve Hammick	....	driver: stand-by prop truck

Other crew
Danielle Bennett	....	floor runner
Sam Blackmore	....	floor runner
Oliver Butler	....	base runner
Michael B. Clark	....	assistant to producer
Valentina Coccia	....	production coordinator
Jonah Coombes	....	location manager
Paul Dray	....	laboratory liaison
Jon Duncan	....	production accountant
Scott Eaton	....	assistant production coordinator
Dorothee Freytag	....	location assistant
Adrian Hubbard	....	production runner
Diana Lander	....	unit nurse
Jill McCullough	....	dialect coach
Daniele Tate Melia	....	assistant: producer
Sharon Milton	....	tutor
Paul Murphy	....	assistant accountant
Shailini Vijay Naik	....	production assistant
Claire Oakley	....	assistant to director
Sylvia Parker	....	script supervisor
Scott Penrose	....	magic consultant
Benjamin Perkins	....	chaperone
Mike Phillips	....	head of physical production
James Smith	....	personal assistant: Michael Caine (as Jim Smith)
Serena Tona-Wade	....	runner
Liam Winn	....	runner
Oliver Wiseman	....	assistant: David Heyman
Charlotte Wright	....	location scout
Josh Yudkin	....	assistant location manager

Thanks
Luke Alkin	....	special thanks
Jeb Brody	....	special thanks
Jacqueline Eckhouse	....	special thanks (as Jackie Eckhouse)
Mrs. Ros Garrow	....	special thanks
Tricia Newman	....	thanks
John Sloss	....	special thanks
Elizabeth Spriggs	....	in memory of
Sacha Wares	....	extra special thanks
Jane Wright	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• BBC Films
• Big Beach Films
• Heyday Films

Distributors

• Maximum Film Distribution (2008) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Optimum Releasing (2009) (UK) (theatrical)
• Stony Island Entertainment (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Hopscotch Entertainment (2009) (New Zealand) (all media)
• Magnolia Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Optimum Home Entertainment (2009) (UK) (DVD)
• Roadshow Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (all media)

Special Effects

• Foreign Office (titles)
• Fugitive Studios (digital end roller)
• Moving Picture Company (MPC) (visual effects) (as The Moving Picture Company)

Other Companies

• Premier PR  publicity (UK)
• Arion Facilities  dailies telecine transfers
• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies
• Bluff Hampton Company, The  visual effects by
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Chiltern Railways  thanks
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Film London  thanks
• Fuji Photo Film  motion picture film supplied by
• Hastings Film Office  thanks
• Kent Film Office  thanks
• Little Chalfont Golf Club  thanks
• London Session Orchestra, The  orchestra (uncredited)
• Martin Next & Family  thanks
• Panalux  grip and lighting equipment
• Production Copier Company  production equipment and services
• Rye Harbour Nature Reserve  thanks
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Screen East  thanks
• Screen South  special thanks
• South Eastern Trains  thanks
• Take 2 Film Services  camera equipment provided by
• Teachers, Pupils & Parents at St. peter CEP School, Folkstone  thanks

Also Known As:

"Is There Anybody There?" - Canada (English title) (festival title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language including sexual references, and some disturbing images

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | UK:12A | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Ontario) | Australia:M | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Folkestone Central Train Station, Folkestone, Kent, England, UK

Company:

BBC Films

Trivia:

Leslie Phillips spoke out against this film after is was released, as he said it had been completely changed from the story he and the other elderly actors were making about an old people's home, in order to concentrate on the relationship between Michael Caine and the boy.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Some think the father's mustache at the party is a continuity error as he shaved it off that morning. However, it is a fancy dress party and the father is clearly wearing a fake mustache to go with his costume.

Quotes:

Clarence:Now for those of you who have never before sat in a seance, there is absolutely nothing to be fearful of. Ghosts... are very friendly sorts. They like a nice chin wag. But they're very scared of loud noises and sudden movements. Which is the reason why they're very rarely to be sighted in discos and wrestling matches, for example.
Edward:You shouldn't joke. It'll make 'em vengeful.
Clarence:[raises hand in supplication] Spirits... please accept my mortal apology.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Loose Women: Episode #13.161" (2009)

Soundtrack:

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square

A young lad fascinated by death befriends a retired magician.

Brilliant. I loved every minute of it.

The movie had the perfect mix of comedy and drama. It's a joy to watch Bill Milner (of Son of Rambow fame) go toe to toe with Michael Caine.

It was interesting to hear from the director how the movie originally had political undertones. As I recall from the Q&A at the TIFF screenings, the director said that the movie was set in the late 80s partly because of Margaret Thatcher - who declared that "There's no such thing as society... only individuals and families."

I'm glad they decided to skip the politics altogether though. It would have taken away from such a simple story that in itself is just beautiful one to watch.